Virtually ever since the release of I Am Legend in 2007, there have been reports that there would be a sequel. Depending on who you talked to and when, the project was either a wishful idea or something that was actually in the works. One of the most substantial updates on the project came when star Will Smith himself confirmed that the movie was happening and that Michael B. Jordan was also set to star. Slow development isn’t for lack of trying, however, with writer Akiva Goldsman revealing the challenges of the sequel.
Speaking with Radio Times, the writer explained, “I have run up against a series of obstacles that I refuse to allow to defeat me. That is the truth of that one. We’re pressing on. We’re trying. We’re doing everything we can to get it made.”
On the positive side, though, Goldsman did make one promise about the sequel: they won’t let any dogs die.
“I fear that I would not survive the backlash should we kill another dog,” the filmmaker joked. He went on to highlight the surprising emotional impact of one dog dying vs. the whole planet, noting, “I’d like to point out that between the opening shot and the next shot, we killed almost everybody on the planet. That was OK. You kill one dog – I’ve never had more walkouts during test screenings.”
Another point worth mentioning is that, for those who saw the movie in theaters, you remember Will Smith’s character died. An alternate, unused ending, however, allowed Smith’s Dr. Robert Neville to survive, which will be the basis of the new sequel.
“This will start a few decades later than the first,” Goldsman explained to Deadline in 2023. “I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens? That will be especially visual in New York. I don’t know if they’ll climb up to the empire state building, but the possibilities are endless.”
He adds, “We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film. What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”
Stay tuned for updates on I Am Legend 2.
Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let us know in the comments below!